2025 NFL Draft: Top 8 Defensive Players

The top five scoring defenses of the NFL last season belonged to teams with no less than 10 wins. With offensive creativity evolving year over year, intuitive, diverse talent is essential in limiting points on Sundays. The prospects below fit the mold. 

Travis Hunter- Colorado- 6’0”/ 188 lbs- CB/WR

A football polymath, Travis Hunter understands the game in ways others cannot. He tops the list of defensive prospects after booking 1,258 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns in the Big-12 last season. That included a reception percentage of 79.3% and 13.1 yards per catch. 

Hunter is reminiscent of his college coach, Deion Sanders, with flawless ball skills at wide corner. He played 428 coverage snaps in 2024 and allowed a total of 222 receiving yards- good for fourth in the Big-12 at defensive back. He gave up one touchdown and added four interceptions. 

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The reigning Heisman Trophy winner is a fiend in zone coverage. He torments quarterbacks by disguising his reads and exploding into playmaking spots. Competition is Hunter’s fuel; he does not shy away from manning up. He had 220 reps in man coverage last year, second-most at corner in the 2025 class. Lastly, Hunter maintains coverage regardless of the length of a down. He finished college in the 90th percentile in coverage on plays with more than three seconds to throw for opposing quarterbacks. His only drawback is his size when forecasting his ability to tackle NFL skill players.

The question surrounding Hunter, and the entire 2025 draft, is will he be able to play both ways in the modern NFL. He is adamant he will contribute offensively and defensively at the next level. Seeing him used situationally on third down and in the red zone would be interesting to start. 

Primary Pick: Cleveland Browns- Round 1, Pick 2
Secondary Pick: New York Giants- Round 1, Pick 3

Abdul Carter- Penn State- 6’3”/250 lbs- EDGE

Abdul Carter’s profile indicates NFL impact second only to franchise quarterbacks. He has the deadly combination of power and speed with next to no strings attached. Carter was tied for fifth in sacks (13) and third in quarterback hurries (43) in the FBS last season. He was dominant on the outside for the Nittany Lions, finishing in the 98th percentile in pass-rush win percentage. Carter has a first step characteristic of Von Miller, with his speed being his best asset. It’s rumored he can run a 40-yard-dash in 4.3 seconds. He has not run an official 40 ahead of the draft, but even if he were behind that time by a tenth of a second it would be nothing short of remarkable.  

Carter defends the run better than advertised. He was third in the country last season among defensive lineman in drive-stopping tackles (43). This kid is a franchise cornerstone.  

Primary Pick: New York Giants- Round 1, Pick 3
Secondary Pick: Cleveland Browns- Round 1, Pick 2

Jahdae Barron- Texas- 5’11”/ 194 lbs- CB

Jahdae Barron is an all-around defensive weapon disguised as a corner. Over three years in Austin, he played 1,112 snaps on the outside, 900 snaps in the slot and moved into the box on nearly 500 plays. A former track star, Barron has run a 100-meter-dash in less than 11 seconds. His speed, along with 57 solo-tackles last year, show the variability NFL defensive coordinators rhapsodize. Moving around does not cost Barron technique on the back end- he finished his FBS career in the 97th percentile in coverage at exterior corner. 

Barron’s stock may jump on draft day. If it weren’t for classmate Travis Hunter, Barron’s defensive arsenal would be common intelligence among casual fans.  

Primary Pick: Carolina Panthers- Round 1, Pick 8
Secondary Pick: New Orleans Saints- Round 1, Pick 9

Mason Graham- Michigan- 6’3”/ 296 (312) lbs- DI

Mason Graham doesn’t have the length of an interior defensive linemen in the NFL, but he is multi-skilled. Graham is well versed in playing three-technique with an excellent first step and tactical use of his hands. He is reliable stopping the run, missing only eight tackles over three seasons at Michigan- his tenure included a National Championship in 2023. Of FBS interior lineman with at least 500 snaps last year, Graham was second in quarterback hits (9). He finished his FBS career in elite territory in both pass-rush win percentage and run-stop percentage.

While Graham played the majority of his career in Ann Arbor at well over 300 pounds, in pre-draft evaluations he weighed only 296 pounds. Graham will need to maintain his playing weight to bull-rush NFL guards and centers. 

Primary Pick: Jacksonville Jaguars- Round 1, Pick 5
Secondary Pick: New York Jets- round 1, Pick 7

Mike Green- Marshall- 6’4”/ 250 lbs- EDGE

Mike Green is a “draft-the-ceiling” prospect who statistically outplayed every edge in this class in 2024. He led the group in both sacks (17) and total run stops (32). Green has raw talent as a pass rusher, but must develop his footwork and upper body tactics. He is athletic enough to drop off the line of scrimmage in the NFL. A player who finished in better than the 95th percentile across the FBS in both pass-rush win percentage (95) and run-defense (100) is worth a first round pick. 

The knock on Green is the lack of competition he saw at Marshall. He logged a sack and two drive stopping tackles in week 2 last season against Ohio State. 

Primary Pick: San Francisco 49ers- Round 1, Pick 11
Secondary Pick: New York Jets- Round 1, Pick 7

Walter Nolen- Ole Miss- 6’5”/ 321 lbs- DI

Walter Nolen is hard to miss. He is the most physically imposing defensive prospect of 2025. Nolen is elite in run-stopping efficiency after posting a missed tackle percentage of only 4.3% last year- sixth overall at defensive tackle in the FBS. He has plus strength for the NFL and impressed with his pass-rush last season with 25 quarterback hurries. At his size, Nolen is capable of moving out to the edge. His second highest snap count as an All-American last Fall came over the tackle or in the C-Gap. 

Nolen has size and strength in spades, but can run out of gas if he does not make the backfield. Players of this size must prioritize conditioning. If he does, he has Pro Bowl upside. 

Primary Pick: New York Jets- Round 1, Pick 7
Secondary Pick: San Francisco 49ers- Round 1, Pick 11

Malaki Starks- Georgia- 6’1/ 200 lbs- S

Malaki Starks gives his defensive coordinator options in the secondary. With a combination of football intelligence and tackling ability, Starks is able to play both safety spots. Additionally, he can handle man coverage in the slot, a key trait to address tight end coverage in an NFL game plan. Starks fits best in a zone scheme where he can foresee route combinations and use his ball skills.

Starks’ play dropped off in 2024. Consistency is a concern with what is on tape from last season, but in a specialized role he will be effective. 

Primary Pick: Atlanta Falcons- Round 1, Pick 15
Secondary Pick: Indianapolis Colts- Round 1, Pick 14

Donovan Ezeiruaku- Boston College- 6’2”/ 248 lbs- EDGE

Donovan Ezeiruaku is knocked for his size playing the edge, but his tape is proof it does not limit his physicality. Among edges, he is at the top of this class in hits (20) and total run-stops (30) from a season ago. Ezeiruaku is reliable, playing more than 500 snaps in the ACC in each of the least three seasons. His height keeps him low, and with his long arms and excellent hands, he is difficult to block as a true outside rusher. 

Ezeiruaku may have trouble against NFL teams with plus run-game execution. When blockers square him up, they are at an advantage in removing him from the play. 

Primary Pick: Los Angeles Rams- Round 1, Pick 26
Secondary Pick: Detroit Lions- Round 1, Pick 28

Watch the NFL draft live and for free on DAZN

The 2025 NFL Draft begins on Thursday, April 24 at  8pm  on the East Coast /  1am  Friday in the UK.

This year's NFL Draft will be available to watch for free on NFL Game Pass on DAZN (excluding the US and China).

For more information and to watch for free,  click here .

NFL Draft schedule

• Round 1 : Thursday, April 24 (8pm ET / 1am BST)
• Rounds 2 and 3 : Friday, April 25 (6pm ET / 11pm BST)
• Rounds 4-7 : Saturday, April 26 (12pm ET / 5pm BST)